Much like Opportunity Council beginning in a small room with just a typewriter, CAZ had its own humble beginnings—this time in a garage with a Subaru. CAZ, “Comfort from A to Z,” was founded in 2010 by Dan Dunne. A former employee of Opportunity Council, Dan took the skills he gained working in our Weatherization program and launched his own business doing energy audits. He joined forces with a friend, James Reider, to expand to insulation services and the company quickly began to grow from there.
CAZ’s and OppCo’s paths would remain intertwined as CAZ became a trusted partner in OppCo’s Weatherization program. CAZ’s client base continued to grow as they sought to fulfill new requests from their customers. Each “Can I do anything else for you?”, brought in new employees for heat pumps, electrical, asbestos abatement, plumbing, and eventually larger remodels.
Dan Dunne holding his first check from Opportunity Council in 2008.
Dan has been involved with OppCo for 18 years now: two as an employee and 16 as a trusted community partner. In that time, he’s has seen how his own journey paralleled OppCo’s, with both continuing to grow and seek out new opportunities in the community. In these 18 years, the relationship between us has shifted to become one where the two are able to help each other keep people in their homes through energy improvements, preventative measures, and making homes more affordable.
As CAZ has grown, Dan has stayed firm in his commitment to his community and his employees. Dan shared that within CAZ, all of his employees know that if there’s a problem, they can come directly to Dan to talk it out. CAZ works to maintain a team atmosphere that guarantees respect and good communication both internally and externally. If a new hire comes in with an attitude of immediate defensiveness or anger, or starts getting complaints from fellow coworkers or customers, Dan tries to work with them to get to the root issue. He knows people will only change when they choose to change, but they don’t have to work through that alone.
James & Dan in 2017, a 2-man team.
Being an excellent plumber isn’t enough for Dan if his team can’t share an understanding of how to treat people. This work culture is what CAZ clients have come to expect and have become baked into all the work they do. CAZ was only able to grow because of the positive feedback leading to further referrals to friends and family, and Dan acknowledged that it feels good to be a company that people can safely recommend.
Growing CAZ team in 2019.
In 2008, Dan and his wife moved back to Bellingham to put down roots. Dan originally came to the area to pursue a degree in environmental education. After he and his wife graduated in 2002 (both from Western Washington University), they moved around to see what the world had to offer. As time passed, they realized there was nowhere else they wanted to live and returned to the home of their alma mater.
For Dan, it starts with the land. The rivers, lakes, forestland, and mountains, plus its location between Seattle and Vancouver, make it incredibly enticing. But it doesn’t end there as he also recognizes the community spirit and the feeling of so many people being invested in the region, in a way he would later embody. Dan and his wife follow a campsite mentality of wanting to leave the place a little better than they found it, and Bellingham is no exception.
Dan and Brent Mellick, General Manager, receiving a custom plaque from OppCo leadership.
Dan has joined various planning commissions and advisory boards that cover low-income homes and housing policy, economic issues, land use, and land policy. Although Dan likes to remain in the background and in the policy weeds, he loves being able to see the work that his team did to make real change happen. Beginning in March of 2026, CAZ became an inaugural member of Opportunity Council’s Community Builders Network—helping make sure people have a place to call home, food on the table, and the chance we all need to be able to thrive.
Mirroring OC’s values, Dan’s pride in his company lies within being in the community, seeing a home they worked on, and knowing they helped a client invest in a positive future for their home. We’re grateful to be able to partner with a company that sees the value and importance of helping people and building community as much as we do
“I think it’s when you love a place, you want to protect it and then make it better and help it improve” – Dan Dunne, Owner of CAZ Construction
Entire CAZ team in 2023, grown significantly from it 2-person team days.
“I think it’s when you love a place, you want to protect it and then make it better and help it improve.” – Dan Dunne, Owner of CAZ Construction
Entire CAZ team in 2023, grown significantly from it 2-person team days.
